Subject: Re: restarting

Cadfael is all set and dead on his slab. Or maybe in the ground, I can't remember where I left him.

~Does the funky dead Cadfael dance~

Subject: The Farm

[OODM: I need to resolve the farm stuff before I can do the next overlook escape turn.]

The group stops on the south border of the corn field. Rennik tells Kenneth to stay with the horses while the rest scout ahead. "We may need to leave in a hurry. Don't tie the horses up, or let them graze." Then he heads into the corn, followed by Pensive, Robert, and Vincy.

About fifty feet from the west edge of the field, Rennik stops the group. "I'll scout ahead, and give a whistle when I want you to move up." Garyth's bow gripped in his hands, the halfling heads off toward the edge of the field. He stops after a few steps, Pensive having followed him. "I'll whistle when I want you to follow, monk." Pensive just smiles and says in elven, "I can move as quietly as you, hunter, and I want to see the house." Rennik grunts, then moves on.

From the western edge of the cornfield, the house looks to be about 150 yards away. There is no one visible outside, and the house is quiet. Rennik settles in to watch with a hunter's patience. Pensive crouches next to him, as motionless as a statue.

[I need to know how long you guys would wait]

Subject: Re: The Farm

As they ride, Pensive looks back at the walls of Overlook, at the faces of the men and women and children leaving their homes. Escaping into uncertainty. Leaving doom for danger. And Pensive remembers leaving the monastery.

It took forty-five years for restlessness to settle into his bones. There was always something else to learn, some wisdom he hadn't gained yet, some bit of the Path that remained unexplored within the walls, or at Deacon Comfort's side. His own doing-- Deacon Comfort would have had him gone by the time he was twenty. So he studied and bided his time, and learned to use the gift that the Mossground had given him.

And then he realized that he was no longer learning-- more and more, he was teaching the children of monks who had left and come back and married. . . and began living. He saw the bonding lines, tethering children to their parents, husband to wife, family to community, community to the world, the world to the Path. And while he was wrapped in the community, while his tether was strong, it was short.

He'd had twice as long as any monk in history to learn the ways of the Path of Blood and Stone. He was suddenly exhausted with the monestary-- exhausted with the walls of his own room, the little garden he kept, exhausted with seeing the families grow and thrive, and lengthen their bonds to children, grandchildren. . .

None of the vicars protested when he asked them for permission to leave. Rigor alone had been cautious, placing his hard hands on Pensive's shoulders, telling him that the world would not see him as they did. But he had not objected to his leaving.

And why should they have objected? Pensive had been learning the Path for forty five years.

Forty-five _elven_ years.

That was the problem, Pensive found. He followed the road from the monastery, out of Bannock's Ire, to the cities that crouched at the foot of the mountains. He learned quickly that life among human and gnomish monks had little prepared him for travelling out in the world, and he saw why. An elf at forty-five was no larger than a twelve year old human. The low elves looked askance at him at first-- he was just an _urchin_. Forty-five years, among the elves, was still young-- barely out of childhood.

Pensive rubs the thistle tatoo on the back of his neck. Sharp memories. What had he done to lengthen the tether connecting him to the world at large since then?

It would have to be a question for another time. The cornfield is before them. Pensive follows Rennick into the field, and politely ignores his request to remain behind.

The house is quiet before them. Pensive unwinds the stonesash from his forearms, and lays his bow aside. He quickly sketches out a simple map of the farm in the dirt, and touches Rennick's arm. He mouths, 'Five minutes,' and then points at himself, and then at the barn on the map. He draws a line around the far side of the barn, behind the barn, to the back of the house.

And then he'll wait for Rennick's response.

OOC: Ty, what time of day is it? How long do we figure until the army catches up with us?

Subject: Re: The Farm

The elf was presumptuous, as all elves were, but young. Very young for his kind. Even behind all the training of the monks, there was a sense of urgency behind his eyes, a very human quality... there was some need Rennik could not quite understand. Was there something this young elf had to prove to himself? Or was it just that he was eager to embrace life?

Or, in this case, death.

He did not object to Pensive tagging along, but mentally filed the young elf's resistance. Rennik had never known a clumsy or awkward member of that race, but, then, he had only had experience with trained scouts and hunters. This elf had more of a human bent, striking Rennik as more rash than the staid and reserved companions he had traveled with years earlier. Still, he had the same training as Mission, who acquited himself rather well, and so the halfling endured his newfound shadow.

The farm looked quiet and unassuming. Either there was no forewarning of their arrival and all were comfortable waiting inside, or they had been spotted and their enemies were lying quietly in wait. He had to assume the latter.

Pensive motioned to him and drew the map, suggesting that he scout the rear of the farm. Very eager, indeed, to rush into the unknown alone.

Rennik shook his head. He pointed at Pensive, then pointed at the ground. Then, he pointed two fingers at his own eyes, then at the house. Tapping his own chest with two fingers, he made a circular motion with fingers pointed down to represent scouting the house himself.

Finally, as he moved to leave cover, he pointed at Pensive's bow and again at the house, suggesting covering fire if needed.

[Rennik will scout the back of the farm, specifically trying to find some angle where he can see in a window or door, any opening, and get a view of what's going on inside. He will be wary of any farm animals or dogs about the place, and will have Tichenor to stay with Pensive.]

Subject: Re: The Farm

Pensive shrugs at the halfling. It was true that Pensive could aid the halfling much more quickly than the halfling could aid him, if it came to that. He nods, and wraps the stonesash loosely around his shoulder.

He picks up his bow, and notches an arrow.

OOC: If the halfling is attacked, Pensive will call out for the guardsmen to aid them, fire at the attacker nearest Rennick, and then run to aid him in melee combat.

Subject: Re: The Farm

Their plans set, Rennik slips out of the cornfield like a cat, dodging quietly from cover to cover. Pensive is able to watch him for a while, but after a few moments the halfling has moved far enough away that his skill at using ground cover makes him hard to follow.

Rennik risks moving to the tree nearest the front door of the farmhouse, but gets little for his efforts. The wooden door is closed, and no one is visible on or near the porch. Even up close, the stretched hide window covers give no visibility into the house. It is very quiet.

Rennik begins to move around the south side of the house, and notices a cellar door. Another way into the house, perhaps? He is just deciding whether or not to risk a closer look at it when the smell hits him. A rotting smell. The stink of the charnel house.

Subject: Re: The Farm

OOC: Figures.

Subject: Matt?

I kind of need a turn from Rennik.

Subject: Re: The Farm

OOC: Sorry, that last turn got lost amidst junk mail.

IC: Rennik's nose wrinkles at the smell. There was no hope for these people. They were dead long before the threat was ever made. It was a lie, a threat to a man to force him to act, when they were going to kill him anyway. Like a hunter using the skin of a dead rabbit as a decoy for another.

Would there be any left alive? Would they have kept any to watch the others suffer? Or would they even still be in the farmhouse?

He paused a moment to wonder whether it was worth committing the lives of these men for what was essentially a trap, or a massacre scene, when they would be better served catching up with the main group and defending their entry into the woods.

Whatever they were to do, they had to do it quickly and get back to the retreating procession.

Rennik pulls back to the corn field and tells the others what he discovered, and what his apprehensions are. It is possible that the smell is just some undead themselves, waiting as they were in the tunnel back at the mountain, but the rot smelled fresher, more recent. It is even possible that the family itself has been killed and recently raised by the dark god.

Whatever the case, it is important that they deal with the farm and get back to the main group.

Rennik will outline a strategy to have a couple archers positioned at the edge of the corn, with enough of a spread so as they would not be taken unawares. Then he would suggest that Pensive and himself creep forward to the cellar to get a closer look.

Subject: Re: The Farm

Pensive feels a coldness at Rennick's words. A sly little whisper from the east, a chuckle of madness . . . Pensive shudders.

He says to Rennick, "This may be a trap-- or at least, a show of power to drive hope out of our hearts. But if we leave this farm without witnessing what has been done here, without knowledge by sight of a massacre, our enemy will afflict us with doubt. He will tease us that he left a child, or a woman alive, alone, and give us visions of their starvation. The Path is not straight, nor is it soft. I will not chance walking along it, vulnerable to such a doubt."

He sets off toward the farm, unraveling the stonesash.

OOC: Pensive will do as Rennick suggests.

Subject: The Farm

The three Falcon's arrange themselves several yards apart, and just inside the cover of the corn field. Robert whispers to Rennik before he leaves, "It will be a long shot, sir, if it comes to shooting." Rennik nods. The Falcon's will be more useful in covering a retreat than they will be in actually hitting anything at the farmhouse.

The halfling then leads Pensive through the low brush and cover to the tree by the south side of the house. Up close now, Pensive's nose wrinkles in disgust at the stink of rotting flesh. Rennik moves as quietly as possible to the inset cellar doors, mentally cursing when a hidden twig crackles under foot. The doors are stout wood planks on metal hinges, with a simple deadbolt on the outside keeping them shut.

He turns to look back at Pensive, who just shrugs and moves over to his side, tightly gripping the stonesash. Rennik slides the deadbolt to one side, moving very slowly and trying to keep it as quiet as possible. He then slowly lifts one door, and takes a quick peek into the cellar.

The sunlight dimly illuminates the short stairwell, and a small portion of the cellar itself. Though the stench has become almost overpowering, there is nothing in view. Rennik opens the door the rest of the way. Still nothing. Pensive opens the other door to let as much sunlight into the room as possible, and then Rennik moves slowly down the steps, gripping the shortened halberd in one hand.

At the bottom, he pauses to let his eyes adjust, and then he sees the first victim.

In a distant corner of the room lies an adult human female. Probably the wife of the farmer. She has been slowly and meticulously cut to pieces, in a manner very similar to the way Cadfael was butchered after his death. But in this case, there is no quick death from a wound to the heart. Someone killed her slowly, keeping her alive as long as possible. It must have been several days ago, as the body is rotting and crawling with maggots. There is no one else in the cellar, just shelves of canned food and dry goods. Rennik spends a few moments searching the hard packed dirt floor, then moves to a second stairway leading up into the house.

The stairway leads to a large kitchen. From there Rennik and Pensive move into a large living area. Still no one in sight. A door leads from this room to the outside, and a second door into another room. Rennik moves to it, and stands at one side. Pensive moves to the other side. Rennik yanks the door open quickly, and looks in the room. No one. He finally speaks. "I don't think they left anyone else here, unless they're in the barn. We should check that next. There are footprints downstairs. Halfling. Murrkat is my guess." He spits.

Pensive replies, "There is a bed built for two adults in this room. In the larger room, there are two more adult size beds, and one that looks as if it could hold three or four children. At least four adults and three children lived here. Where are they?"

Rennik shrugs, "The farmer is dead in Overlook. I'd guess that's his wife downstairs. The other two... hired hands maybe? Perhaps they weren't here when this went down. Maybe they got away with the kids."

"Rennik, isn't it more likely that the Murrkat took them back to the temple you spoke of?"

Rennik spits again, then nods. "If they did, looking at the state of the body downstairs, they have a three day head start. We'd never catch them."

[Scott and Matt, let me know where you want to go from here.]

Subject: Re: The Farm

OOC: All right; so the woman was killed a few days ago. Feasibly, that means that the farmer was being held captive for a few days as well. Was he being held captive in Overlook, pending the arrival of our bunch? It would seem so, especially from what the Thug Brothers implied. What did the Thug Brothers do, leave the tower, and run right to Overlook to await orders? Where/how did they meet up with the Murrakat who killed the woman? Did the Murrakat (specifically) kill her? If so, does that mean that they may have also snuck into Nesalin and killed Cadfael?

:) I keep thinking I'm overlooking something.

I'll write up a turn a little later. . .

Subject: Re: The Farm

Those are all excellent questions, with very logical answers.

You just don't know what they are. :)

Subject: Re: The Farm

I've got scads of hypotheses, though; alas, I'm going home right now, and will probably forget them in the hour and a half commute on the way home.

:)

Subject: Re: The Farm

Pensive lifts a scarf over his nose as they descend into the cellar. The smell of rot is thick-- they do not walk through it, they wade through it.

"Blood and stone," he whispers as he sees the woman's body.

She has been dead for days, but the scent of her fear and pain lingers in the darkness, a second stench. Pensive's guts roil and knot-- it is all he can do not to vomit. He forces himself to examine her, each dark cut, every line of pain etched on her skin. This is the work of Sand-- he has studied the work of Stone, let him study now the Sand. He pushes his hand toward her to touch her-- he must touch her, must fight the Shadow that still seeps through the room to mock him, to mock Blood and Stone. Close her eyes, place a pebble in her mouth.

A small gesture, a small kindness. It takes only a moment. Meaningless against the greater tide of sand and shadow. But it is something that he can hold to. He ignores the maggots squirming against his palms as lowers her fully to the floor of the cellar, and crosses her arms across her chest.

"Thy boat bear thee to the Gentle Shore," he says in low elvish.

And then he moves away from her, upstairs after Rennick, and the rest of the house.

The home is empty. There's no sign of any struggle here. Why was that? Surely the men here must have fought for their lives? Perhaps they were taken outside. . . or in the barn. Pensive nods at Rennicks words, frowing a bit.

"Let us go quickly to the barn, then, Hunter," Pensive says softly. "Quickly and cautiously."

Subject: Re: The Farm

OOC: Fantastic post.

Subject: Re: The Farm

Ty, I never got the post below from Scott. I don't know why this is a continuing problem for emails sent to the Overlook group. I don't seem to have this problem with Mark's mailing list in my other game.

Subject: Re: The Farm

I run the list, so when I get home from work today I'll log in to it and see what my administration options are. I don't know if I'll be able to figure anything out, but I'll try.

Raja

Subject: test for karl

Did you get this karl?

Subject: Re: test for karl

Yes. It's odd. On this list I'd estimate I miss every 4th or 5th email. Luckily I'm able to notice like this current time because someone replies with the email I missed attached and I get the reply.

Karl

Subject: Re: The Farm

Has anyone heard from our trusty dusty halfling?

Subject: Re: The Farm

OOC: Sorry, been having problems keeping up. Not used to checking this account anymore.

IC: Rennik only nods at Pensive's words and moves toward the door, heading towards the barn with hopefully more caution than he showed entering the house. He keeps a closer eye for obstacles that would betray his steps.

Why butcher that woman days before using her husband in the city? How long had this been planned? If the men truly had escaped with the children, they would have made it back to town, and someone would have known. They would have come out to investigate, or even to send an armed guard to rout the intruders.

No, the children and hired hands, if that is what they were, were gone, likely along with the dark god's followers.

Rennik dimly hoped to find as gruesome a scene of carnage in the garage - at least then the children would have been spared their souls.

Subject: Re: The Farm

No. I am getting a bit worried about him.

If he can't play, can anyone play Rennik for a while?

Subject: Re: The Farm

Never mind. :)

Rennik's here!

Subject: Re: The Farm

I didn't get this message until today, at roughly the same time as the follow-up. Something must be borked with the list, but I can't figure out what.

Subject: Re: The Farm

I never got the first message at all. I got the "follow-up" just a few minutes ago.

Subject: Re: The Farm

At this point, I have no choice but to blame Canada.

Sorry, Twink.

Subject: Re: The Farm

Actually, the site is hosted in Hong Kong.

Subject: Re: The Farm

Hey, Ty, I've got a question about the passage of time in the game. I'm correct in thinking, aren't I, that the party hasn't had an opportunity to rest since before the attack on the witch's camp? How many hours has it been since that occurred?